Today's News

I suppose I should write a Thanksgiving column about all the things for which I am thankful. I’m probably not going to do that. First, there is not enough space for such a list. Second, I take for granted most of the things that should be on the list and I can’t think of a single one of them right now.

There is the obvious; my wife. I’m deeply in love my wife and am very thankful for her. She recently returned from a weeklong trip from visiting her sister in South Carolina. I’m glad she’s back. I don’t do well when she’s gone. I’m barely functional.

My wife is very supportive of me regardless of how stupid she thinks I’m being or how stupid that thing is that I’m doing. I'm not admitting to stupidity, mind you, but I am a man and based on recent revelations and allegations of sexual misconduct, men do seem to be generally stupid.

Have you seen any of those guys? I believe the women because those men ain’t handsome.

Needing a score in sudden-death overtime, Team Juniors – Class of 2019 – employed a sneaky variation of a play that served it well throughout the night in Chiefland Middle High School’s Powderpuff Football Championship at C. Doyle McCall Field Nov. 9.

Tied 6-6 in overtime, facing a talented and plucky sophomore bunch (Class of 2020), Macie Thomas, who moved to quarterback for this year’s tournament both for her own throwing ability and to free up her teammate Colby Reed to haul in passes downfield, tossed a fade pass to her left for an open Reed to pull in for the game-winning score, lifting the juniors to a 12-6 win in the championship game.

On the final play, Reed loitered near the sideline after getting a play from offensive coordinator Aidan Horne, so as not to draw attention from the sophomore defenders. The strategy worked.

“We had it set up for me to fake being on the sideline, and they believed it so we ran with the play,” Reed said. “It all just came together.”

Buddy Vickers, the first-year Chiefland girls’ basketball coach, just hopes he’s around long enough to see his youngest players fulfill their potential over the next five years.

“I just hope I live five more years,” he said with a laugh in his office the day before his team’s preseason opener in Trenton. “Before we’re through with this bunch, if they will stay with it, the future looks good with the kids we’ve got.”

While the Lady Indians are brimming with youthful upside, they’ll be led this year by a quartet of returnees that represent the team’s strength – it’s size in the paint.

Senior Naja Martin is the most experienced of the bunch, along with junior Courtney Hayes, sophomore Sierra “CeCe” Norris and junior Colby Reed, the team’s top perimeter shooter.

J’Mia (“Lil’ J”) McNeil, an eighth-grader, was with that bunch in the summer workouts, and is penciled to start at point guard in the opener, though Norris and Reed can also handle the point.

For the second year in a row, Chiefland Middle High School’s Lauren Jones competed in the Class 1A girls’ Florida High School Cross Country State Championships in Tallahassee.

In her second trip, Nov. 11, she shaved 1 minute, 48 seconds off her time in the 5K, moving up 52 places to come in at No. 14 in the state in her class.

Jones notched a time of 19:46.17, just 15 seconds off pace from earning her a medal, which go to the top 10 individual finishers. It was a personal record for the rising star.

The achievement is all the more remarkable for the fact that Jones, an eighth-grader, is not even in high school yet, and has only been seriously competing in cross country for a couple of years.

Jones said she was able to estimate where she stood among the pack at different points of the race. Her father displayed a dry-erase board that showed how many seconds she was off pace of the runners in front of her.

“I knew I could shave off that much because of my times this season, and I wasn’t hurt going in like I was last season,” Jones said. “I just had to push myself.

South Levy County is home to the Withlacoochee River, a glorious river that flows into the Gulf of Mexico. On any day of the week, any week of the year, the Withlacoochee Gulf Area Chamber of Commerce invites residents and visitors alike to come and enjoy all it’s great outdoor amenities. Conducive to boating, sailing, fishing, camping, hiking, bicycling, paddling, and birding, the river and surrounding areas have it all.

The Withlacoochee Gulf Area Chamber of Commerce is the perfect host and hostess to acquaint those seeking that “Old Florida” adventure. Set in the laid back towns of Inglis and Yankeetown, the Withlacoochee Chamber works tirelessly to give residents and visitors a splendid, idyllic getaway whether it’s for a few hours, a few days, or a few months. Many residents came to the area as vacationers and found they just didn’t want to leave, making South Levy their permanent residences.

Faith. Family. Friends. Sheila Smith says those are the reasons she survived a freakish motorcycle accident in 2010.

Sheila fractured her skull in three places. Her sinus cavities collapsed and her face was paralyzed. Besides a big muscle knot and a bruise on one of her shoulders, “It was just my head and shoulder that was damaged. I was very fortunate.”

She has no memory of the accident or the two months that followed. Because her face was paralyzed, she couldn’t close her eyes or mouth. Her right eye was stuck toward her nose, which caused problems with double vision, depth perception and vertigo. She had to wear a safety belt when she used a walker and someone had to walk behind her.

To understand what led to the crash, it is necessary to know Sheila. She grew up in Pennsylvania as a little bit of a tomboy who was afraid of nothing, except maybe a Ferris wheel and other slow-moving things.

Chiefland City commissioners found themselves in a situation they did not like Monday when they voted 4-1 to fund the city’s share of a grant to replace the digester at the wastewater treatment plant.

It was either pay $148,600 for the city’s share of a grant now or fund the full cost at a later date.

City Manager Mary Ellzey said staff applied for the Springs Project grant 18 months ago through the Department of Environmental Protection/Suwannee River Water Management District to replace the biosolids treatment unit that was built in 1968. The unit was refurbished once in 1999. The city is under a mandate to replace the equipment by 2020.

At the of the grant application in January 2016, the estimated cost for the total project was $418,400 with the water management district funding $376,560 and city funding $41,840.

Between the time construction plans were completed and the project was funded, there were substantial increases in labor and material costs. The cost is now estimated at $567,000, an increase of $148,600.

Chiefland City commissioners recognized the October Students of the Month Monday, Nov. 11, during the regular commission meeting. Chiefland Elementary School nominated Carlos Salazar-Diaz, Chiefland Middle/High School selected Tyler Bass and Chiefland Middle/High School nominated Deshamar Shepherd for their outstanding behavior and scholastic achievement.

CES fourth grade teacher Charlotte Andrews nominated Carlos, the son of Mirla Diaz and Carlos Salazar. The teacher said Carlos is a very conscientious student. He always comes to school prepared and eager to learn. He is very serious about his education. He is an English-Language Learner who has overcome language barriers to excel in all areas. Not only does he take his education seriously, but he also encourages and helps his classmates. He translates for other ELL students in the classroom. He is a real asset to his teachers.

The Suncoast Schools Credit Union Foundation is partnering with the Levy County Schools Foundation to offer two $2,000 scholarship awards to high school graduates in the Class of 2018.

Class of 2018 high school graduates in the Suncoast Credit Union’s 21-county service territory have the opportunity to apply for financial support to continue their education, thanks to a $116,000 investment in scholarships by the Tampa-based credit union’s foundation.

Applications will be open Feb. 1, 2018 and will be available through the Levy County high school guidance departments.

This year’s Suncoast Credit Union Scholars program represents a continued philosophy of the foundation to support education initiatives and the well-being and potential of children.

Since its inception in 1990, the foundation has contributed more than $19 million including more than 600 student scholarships valued at nearly $1 million.

I hate trash. l know that’s a bold statement in these days of political correctness when you are not allowed to hate anything. But, really I do! I’m just being honest with you.

My father instilled the notion in me that trash discarded by thoughtless people is wrong at a basic level and it chews up so many of our local resources to clean it up, money that could be better used to fix bridges or pave roads.

I hate trash, but I love this area so I am willing to do something about it by safely picking trash along my road in my community in my state. It’s a monthly effort to give something back and to help keep the Nature Coast natural. But, picking trash is not for the faint of heart. It is truly disgusting what some people throw out of the windows of their vehicles or stop and dump along the road. When you pick trash, you see the seedy underbelly of society in full bloom. You see the chaotic and wasteful way that some people live ... by desensitizing or self-medicating with alcohol, tobacco, sugar, fast food and the broken dreams of a winning lottery ticket.